The present invention relates to heating and cooling systems, and more particularly to a ducted unit in a system including a bent coil having fins and a separation wall including openings that direct air through the ducted unit.
Heating and cooling systems may include a ducted unit 100 having a fan 102 and a flat coil 104 disposed inside a duct 106 (FIG. 1). Depending on the desired unit characteristics, the fan 102 may be disposed either downstream with respect to the flat coil 104 (i.e., a “draw through” architecture) or upstream with respect to the flat coil 104 (i.e., a “blow through” architecture). As is known in the art, the fan 102 directs air through the duct 106 and through the flat coil 104. The air can be heated or cooled as it travels through the flat coil 104. The flat coil 104 is designed to have a large surface area exposed to the air to optimize heat exchange with the air.
Normally, the flat coil 104 has a flat profile and is disposed either vertically or at an incline with respect to a vertical axis in the duct 106 (FIG. 1). Regardless of whether the flat coil 104 is vertical or inclined, the surface of the flat coil 104 delivers outlet air straight forward in both cases. While the flat coil 104 structure is acceptable if air is discharged straight through the duct 106, it is less effective if the air is to be delivered at an angle (e.g., toward the sides of the duct 106). To discharge air from the sides, a ducted unit 100 having a blow-through architecture often requires one or more additional side ducts 108 downstream of the flat coil 104 to redirect the air. However, the side ducts 108 make installation of the system in, for example, a residence more complicated. Further, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the side ducts 108 increase the overall system dimensions, making them difficult to install in small areas (e.g., corridors).
There are several drawbacks to prior ducted units 100. For example, any turbulence in the air flow directed through the flat coil 104 reduces the effectiveness of the flat coil 104. In addition, a portion of the air directed towards the flat coil 104 may not pass through the flat coil 104. This air may move around the perimeter of the flat coil 104, reducing the overall efficiency of the unit 100. Also, because the flat coil 104 is designed to discharge air only in a forward direction, air that is directed laterally into the side ducts 108 will experience pressure losses, reducing the overall efficiency of the ducted unit 100.
There is a desire for a compact structure that allows the ducted unit to discharge air laterally as well as forward without the efficiency losses encountered in currently known systems as well as overcome other shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.